The polyphenylene ether resins are a family of engineering thermoplastics that are well known to the polymer art. These polymers may be made by a variety of catalytic and non-catalytic processes from the corresponding phenols or reactive derivatives thereof. By way of illustration, certain of the polyphenylene ethers are disclosed in Hay, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,306,874 and 3,306,875, and in Stamatoff, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,257,357 and 3,257,358. In the Hay patents, the polyphenylene ethers are prepared by an oxidative coupling reaction comprising passing an oxygen-containing gas through a reaction solution of a phenol and a metal-amine complex catalyst. Other disclosures relating to processes for preparing polyphenylene ether resins, including graft copolymers of polyphenylene ethers with styrene type compounds, are found in Fox, U.S. Pat. No. 3,356,761; Sumitomo, U.K. Pat. No. 1,291,609; Bussink et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,337,499; Blanchard et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,219,626; Laakso et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,342,892; Borman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,344,116; Hori et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,384,619; Faurote et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,440,217; and disclosures relating to metal-based catalysts which do not include amines, are known from patents such as Wieden et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,442,885 (copper-amidines); Nakashio et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,573,257 (metal-alcoholate or -phenolate); Kobayashi et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,455,880 (cobalt chelates); and the like. In the Stamatoff patents, the polyphenylene ethers are produced by reacting the corresponding phenolate ion with an initiator, such as peroxy acid salt, an acid peroxide, a hypohalite, and the like, in the presence of a complexing agent. Disclosures relating to non-catalytic processes, such as oxidation with lead dioxide, silver oxide, etc., are described in Price et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,382,212. Cizek, U.S. Pat. No. 3,383,435 discloses polyphenylene ether-styrene resin compositions. All of the above-mentioned disclosures are incorporated herein by reference.
The term "alkenyl aromatic resin" includes polymers and copolymers of styrene, alpha methyl styrene, chlorostyrene, ethylvinylbenzene, divinylbenzene, vinyl naphthalene, and the like.
The term "EPDM" includes rubbery interpolymers of a mixture of mono-olefins and a polyene. Preferred types are those rubbery interpolymers of ethylene, an alpha-olefin, and a polyene. Rubbery interpolymers of ethylene, propylene, and a polyene are especially preferred.
In the prior art, rubber-modified styrene resins have been admixed with polyphenylene ether resins to form compositions that have modified properties. The Cizek patent, U.S. Pat. No. 3,383,435, discloses rubber-modified styrene resinpolyphenylene ether resin compositions wherein the rubber component is of the unsaturated type such as polymers and copolymers of butadiene. The physical properties of these compositions are such that it appears that many of the properties of the styrene resins have been upgraded, while the moldability of the polyphenylene ethers is improved.
Nakashio et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,658,945 discloses that from 0.5 to 15% by weight of an EPDM-modified styrene resin may be used to upgrade the impact strength of polyphenylene ether resins. In Cooper et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,943,191 it is disclosed that when the highly unsaturated rubber used in compositions of the type disclosed by Cizek, is replaced with EPDM rubber that has a low degree of residual unsaturation, the thermal oxidative stability and color stability are improved.
Polyphenylene ether resin compositions can contain fillers to result in cost savings, increased modulus, and decreased shrinkage. However, these advantages are usually obtained at the expense of a significant reduction in toughness, as measured by elongation or impact strength.
It has now been unexpectedly found that a composition of a polyphenylene ether resin, a rubber-modified alkenyl aromatic resin, and an aluminum silicate filler, is a very useful thermoplastic molding material having good ductility and good toughness, as measured by elongation or impact strength.
It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide improved compositions that are based on polyphenylene ether resins, rubber-modified alkenyl aromatic resins, and a mineral filler.
Another object of this invention is to provide molding compositions and molded articles that are based upon a polyphenylene ether resin, a rubber-modified alkenyl aromatic resin, and an aluminum silicate filler and that have improved retention of toughness, or, in other words, an improved retention of stiffness, with less loss in toughness.
It is also an object of this invention to provide the above-described, improved molding compositions in flame-retardant embodiments.